“In this summer series, reporter Alissa Johnson looks at the big picture of oil and gas development in Gunnison County. Last week, we looked at trends in the discussion around oil and gas. This week, in the final installment, we look at how the county regulates oil and gas development and the conclusions we can draw about the current conversation.”  READ PART 1, READ PART 2, & READ PART 3

Times-Call – Longmont Fracking Ban Could Go Before Colorado’s High Court
“Colorado’s battle over who should regulate fracking could be on the fast track to the state Supreme Court.  The Colorado Court of Appeals … asked to bow out of lawsuits over a ban on fracking in Longmont and a 5-year-moratorium in Fort Collins. That would allow the Colorado Supreme Court to take the cases directly, without a ruling by the Appeals Court.”  READ MORE

A gas flare at an oil well in North Dakota. EPA is considering rules to crack down on venting and flaring.

Think Progress – How The EPA Plans to Cut Methane Emissions from Oil & Gas Wells
“Regulating carbon dioxide, by far the most common greenhouse gas, is critical to halt the emissions that cause climate change. But methane is a very close second, and for the first time, the federal government is moving to significantly rein in methane pollution.”  READ MORE

Center for American Progress – Federal Oil and Gas Royalty and Revenue Reform
“When the federal government last changed its royalty rate for oil and gas production on America’s public lands, Standard Oil’s monopoly had only recently been broken, Ford’s Model A still had not rolled off the assembly line, the Teapot Dome scandal had yet to erupt and rock the U.S. Department of the Interior and the administration of President Warren G. Harding, and the 20s had just begun to roar.”  READ MORE

A proposed drilling location under consideration by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service in the Gunnison National Forest.

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel – Feds Consider 25-Well Project in Upper North Fork
“Federal officials are considering a proposal by two energy companies to drill up to 25 natural gas wells in the upper North Fork Valley.  SG Interests and Gunnison Energy have proposed the project west of McClure Pass and Colorado Highway 133 in northwestern Gunnison County, in the area of Sheep Mountain, Sheep Park and Little Henderson Creek.”  READ MORE & READ CHC’S COMMENTS

The Nation – Why Are Americans Switching to Renewable Energy? Because It’s Actually Cheaper
“While shales were booming and then busting, solar and wind have been surging. Renewables have been relegated to the sidelines of our energy priorities, a small blip in our electric generating capacity each year, but that is changing. How fast it happens could be enough to rock the boat in a major way.”  READ MORE

Inside Climate News – Alberta Earthquakes Tied to Fracking, Not Just Wastewater Injection
“While most fracking-related earthquakes in the U.S. are pegged to wastewater injection, Canadian scientists believe fracking itself is to blame in Alberta.”  READ MORE

NBC News – To Slow Climate Change, Stop Drilling on Federal Land: Study
“Up to 450 billion tons of greenhouse gases would be kept out of the atmosphere if the U.S. government stopped leasing federal lands to fossil fuel companies, according to a study released on Wednesday.  The government currently allows energy companies to lease federal lands for drilling, and environmental groups say if the practice is not halted, the United States will be unable to meet its obligations to combat climate change.”  READ MORE & READ THE STUDY

Inside Climate News – Environmental Groups Start Legal Process to Sue EPA over Fracking Waste
“A number of leading environmental organizations filed a legal notice with the Environmental Protection AgencyWednesday demanding that the agency stop what they say is improper disposal of drilling and fracking waste by oil and gas companies.”  READ MORE